Idiots in Love
by runningwyld
Summary: After the events of Season 9, Episode 1, Steve is basically unfazed by his experience in the sensory deprivation tank, but he can't seem to shake off Danny's earlier comment about him living like a monk. McDanno pre-slash/slash. A getting together story.


**Disclaimer:** I own no rights to Hawaii Five-0 or any of its characters. This is a work of fan-fiction and absolutely no infringement is intended.

 **A/N:** I know I'm a week late with this Coda, but I was happy it wasn't rendered AU by Season 9, Episode 2, which had some great McDanno moments.

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Danny awoke to a stiff back and an even stiffer neck. It took him a moment to realize the culprit was Steve's ancient couch. The sun was bright through his closed eyelids, so he knew he'd at least gotten a few hours' sleep despite feeling like he'd been run over by a truck. Steve had refused any medical treatment beyond a cursory examination by the EMTs following his ordeal in the sensory deprivation tank that culminated in his near drowning (and wouldn't that have been an ironic and ignominious end) but it was still close to 3:00 a.m. before they made it to the house. Wanting to stay close in case he was needed and being too exhausted to drive to his own house anyway, Danny had opted for the couch. A decision his 42-year-old body was now regretting. He groaned and slowly opened his eyes only to see Steve sitting in the chair watching him.

"Hey, everything okay?" Danny, his voice rough from sleep, asked as he pushed himself up into a semi-sitting position with his aching back against the armrest. He rubbed his eyes with the heels of his hands in an attempt to clear his sleep-blurred vision.

"Yeah, I'm fine. Couldn't sleep, but I really wasn't up for a swim this morning."

"For some reason I find that shocking. Don't get me wrong, it's perfectly normal under the circumstances. No sane person would want to go swimming less than eight hours after nearly drowning, but you being you, not a normal person by any measure; I would have bet money you'd be splashing around in the ocean before the sun was even up. I'm proud of you, babe, maybe they brainwashed some common sense and self-preservation instincts into you."

"Don't get too excited," Steve told him. "I fully plan on swimming tomorrow. This morning though, I had other things on my mind."

"Oh, yeah? I'd love to hear them, but do you think I could maybe get some coffee first?"

Steve let out a sigh, but Danny caught his partner's indulgent smile as Steve stood up and headed toward the kitchen.

"Use the French press," Danny called out "and the only dairy I want in mine is milk, no butter, you freak." Danny closed his eyes and stretched as waited for his coffee. He could tell there was something Steve wanted to talk about; otherwise, he would have been sitting out on the lanai, not inside watching Danny sleep. He'd almost dozed back off when he sensed Steve standing over him. Without even opening his eyes, Danny held his hand out for the mug he knew Steve was holding. After taking a sip of coffee, he opened his eyes. "Oh, man, that is good stuff. You missed your calling, babe, you should have been a barista instead of a Navy SEAL and the head of Five-0."

"Yeah, well, hindsight is 20-20 and all that," Steve responded dryly as he sat back down in his chair, his own mug of coffee in hand.

"So," Danny asked. "What's weighing so heavily on your mind that you'd rather sit and watch me sleep than swim or even sleep yourself? Are you feeling okay? You having some residual effects from everything Greer and the rest of those spying bastards did to you last night?"

"No, it's not that," Steve said softly, staring down into his cup like it held the answers to all of life's problems instead of just really good coffee.

"So, if it's not that, what is it ... and don't say 'nothing' because I know you way too well to let you get away with that." Danny, feeling much more awake and much less stiff than earlier, sat up on the couch and turned to face Steve. His partner was wearing his I'm-feeling-emotions-I-don't-know-how-to-express face. Danny had learned that when Steve was wearing that face, it was best to gently coax him into talking because if pushed too hard, Steve would get defensive and shut down.

"Steve, I know something's bothering you and I want to help, even if that just means listening. You can tell me anything, you know that. Just take your time, I won't push, but I can tell something is going on in that brain-scrubbed head of yours and I really think it would help if you let it out."

When Steve glanced up and looked at him, Danny was taken aback by the emotion he saw in the other man's eyes, but before he could decipher it Steve went back to staring into his coffee mug. Eventually though, he saw Steve take a deep breath, almost as if he was preparing himself for what was to come. Then Steve began to talk.

"The only reason I haven't been on a date since Lynn and I broke up is that the only person I'm interested in dating is already involved with someone else."

For a moment Danny thought he must have missed something because it was like Steve had started in the middle of a conversation, not at the beginning. It took Danny another moment to figure out that that's exactly what he had done. He had picked up where they had left off a few days earlier when Danny had accused him of living like a monk since he broke up with Lynn.

"Oh, I didn't realize you were interested in someone. And she's already involved with someone else? That sucks, man. I'm sorry. Who is she?"

"It's not a she," Steve mumbled without looking up.

"Excuse me?"

"I said it's not a she, it's a he. He's a he."

"Really? Wow. Okay, how did I not know this? I mean, wow, a he. That's fine. I've got no problem with that. I'm just surprised is all. You've done a really good job of keeping that hidden, which is totally understandable with your military background and all. But, wow, I really wish I'd known." Danny was reeling. Steve was interested in a guy, a man, someone of the same sex. Danny was brought out of his whirling thoughts when he realized Steve had resumed talking. "What? Sorry, I, um, got distracted, can you repeat that?"

"I said, 'why do you wish you had known?' Would it have made a difference?"

"Yes, no ... I mean, I don't care that you're gay."

"Bi."

"Bi. I don't care that you're bi, I just wish you'd felt like you could tell me. I hate that you didn't think you could share that part of yourself with me."

"Yeah, well, like you said, I've been pretty much conditioned to keep it a secret, even from my friends. Besides, it's been a really long time since I've been involved with a guy, since before Catherine, well before I met you."

"But there is someone you're interested in now?"

"Yeah, I've been interested for a really long time. It's the main reason I broke up with Lynn. It wasn't fair to keep leading her on."

"But he's involved with someone else? I know you Steve, you would never be a party to cheating, so what are you going to do?"

"Like I said, my feelings aren't new. I've always been able put them in a box and shut the lid, but every once in a while something happens and the lid comes off. Lately, it just seems like it's been getting harder and harder to stuff my feelings back inside. I'll do it though, don't worry. I don't have a choice because not only is he involved with someone else, I'm pretty sure he'd have no romantic interest in me anyway. Besides, I'd never do anything to ruin our friendship."

For a brief moment the shutters came off and the emotion Danny saw in Steve's eyes made his breath hitch. Danny might be slow, but he wasn't totally ignorant. Something finally clicked and everything made sense. God, he really hoped he wasn't reading this wrong.

"Steve, have you ever wondered why, even though Melissa and I have been together for years, we haven't really moved beyond dating? Why I've never let Grace and Charlie get close to her?"

"I just thought it was because you never intended to get married again after everything that happened with Rachel."

"Yeah, well, sort of, but primarily it's because we both always knew it wasn't permanent. In the beginning, she was with me because I was safe. She knew I wouldn't hurt her, physically or emotionally, like her bastard of an ex did. And, I was with her because she was young and fun and I needed an easy, uncomplicated relationship. Eventually, we came to an understanding. We'd become good friends, but we both knew it wasn't ever going to be more than that. So, we made a pact that we would continue seeing each other, but if either one of us ever found someone we thought we could spend our life with we'd call it quits, no hard feelings."

"So it's a friends with benefits thing?"

"I guess you could say that, but we're exclusive. Even though we know it's not permanent, neither one of us wants to deal with everything that comes with sleeping around. We care too much about each other for that."

"Exactly why are you telling me this, Danny?"

"I'm telling you because I did find someone I want to spend my life with, but I never thought my feelings would be reciprocated. That's why my agreement with Melissa has worked so well. I get sex and companionship but don't have to pretend it's more than that."

"So, what you're saying is that you feel my pain because you have a case of unrequited love too. What? Are we going to have a pity party now?"

"No," Danny responded with frustration, "that is not what I'm saying at all, you schmuck, just the opposite in fact. I am telling you that I think we've both been blind to the fact that the objects of our affections, so to speak, feel the exact same way about us as we feel about them."

At Steve's confused look, Danny sighed and shook his head before leaning forward and gently setting his mug on the coffee table. Sometimes he just wanted to hit Steve upside the head to knock a little sense into him. "What I'm saying, you thick-headed dope, is that I think the person you're interested in and the person I'm interested in feel the same way ... about each other ... about us ... I think we, you and I, feel the same way about each other."

Danny could tell the moment what he said finally clicked in Steve brain. The hope that filled his eyes made Danny's heart clinch. "You mean," Steve started, his voice was like gravel so he cleared his throat and tried again. "You mean you feel about me the way I feel about you? You care about me as more than just a partner, a friend?"

"Steven, I've haven't cared about you as just a partner or a friend for years. I really don't know how we both could have been so blind. We're idiots, you know that, right?"

"Idiots in love, you mean," Steve said grinning as he moved from the chair to the couch. He tucked one knee under him and turned towards Danny, who moved so they were facing either other.

Danny reached up and touched Steve's cheek before dropping his hand to his lap. "I think I really need to talk to Melissa."

"Yeah, you really do," Steve growled as he stared at Danny's lips.

"Well, I don't think she'd be too upset if we shared one kiss first, seeing as how she's been telling me for years that I should make a move on you already."

"I always have liked that girl," Steve said as he leaned in for the kiss Danny never thought would happen.

 _***Fade to black***_

A/N: Thanks so much for reading.


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